NEW YORK — The Toronto Maple Leafs are the first NHL team worth $1 billion, according to Forbes magazine.The Leafs, who have not won a Stanley Cup since 1967, are worth $250 million more than the next most valuable franchise, the New York Rangers. The Montreal Canadiens are worth $575 million.The Avalanche ranks 18th in value at $210 million, with revenue of $91 ...

Don't do the NHL any favors. I read the Forbes article. Some of the teams that didn't make a profit were Washington, Minnesota, Buffalo, San Jose, and Anaheim. Washington and Buffalo both paid over the salary cap last year. Washington paid $2.41 million LITR. If those teams had been operated by good businessmen, they'd be turning a profit. Instead it's somehow the players' fault teams like Minnesota have to pay through the nose to become even less profitable.

Of the remaining 8 teams that legitimately lost money, they are predominantly in places the NHL shouldn't have gone in the first place. Tampa Bay, Florida, Nashville, Carolina, Phoenix, give me a break. Again the fault of poor business decisions. A "for-profit" business does not deserve to turn a profit for idiocy. We barely forgave "too big to fail" for the safety of the economy. Do you really think anyone will accept it for an entertainment business?